INDIANA, Pa. – Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown) finished with a game-high 31 points and Tevin Hanner (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) added a season-high 13 points to help lead IUP to an 84-77 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Senior Night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
The two were part of a group of five seniors honored – including forward Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway), guard Anthony Rocco (Northern Cambria, Pa. /Northern Cambria), and forward Daddy Ugbede (Gardena, Calif./Serra) - prior to the game for their tremendous work over the last four years, helping the Crimson Hawks to 100 wins, four postseason berths, three division titles, a 2013 conference title and a 2015 national championship game appearance.
 
IUP improved to 20-6 with the victory, boasting a 17-4 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The 17 league wins are the most by any team in the PSAC. It's the 22nd 20-win season in program history, including the eighth in a row under head coach Joe Lombardi.
 
UPJ, still fighting for PSAC tournament positioning, fell to 15-10 overall and 11-9 in the conference.
 
Already having sewn up the PSAC Western Division title, the Crimson Hawks widened their lead over second place Mercyhurst and Edinboro to three-and-a-half games heading into the final week of the regular season.
 
Earlier in the day, the NCAA released the season's initial Division II regional rankings, with IUP showing up at number six. The NCAA regional rankings determine the post-season participants for the NCAA Division II Championships. Eight teams will play in the Atlantic Regional. Automatic berths will be granted to the PSAC, the Mountain East Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions. Five teams will be granted at-large bids. 
 
The Crimson Hawks matched the hot-shooting Mountain Cats, shooting nearly 55 percent from the floor, including 8-of-15 from three-point range. IUP also finished 18-of-21 from the foul line as a team.
 
With both teams shooting over 50 percent, there weren't a lot of rebounds to come by, but the Crimson Hawks did out-work UPJ on the boards 29-to-24.
 
It was a tight game after the first 20 minutes with IUP grabbed a 49-45 leading head into the locker room. A 7-0 run early in the second half gave the Crimson Hawks a 12-point lead at 65-53, but the Mountain Cats clawed back into the game, cutting their deficit to 74-70 with just over six minutes to play.
 
The IUP defense clamped down from there on out, forcing six missed shots and four turnovers, giving up just seven points the rest of the way to seal the win.
 
Norfleet went 10-of-23 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, and also hit 9-of-10 from the foul line to hit his 31 points. It was his fourth 30-point game of the season, including his second against UPJ. He flirted with a triple-double, added eight rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes of play.
 
Hanner was an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor, adding four rebounds and blocking a shot in 30 minutes.
 
Also reaching double-figures in scoring were freshman forward Jacobo Diaz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain/CBA Gran Canaria) with 16 points and seven rebounds and junior guard Brandon Spain (Baltimore, Md./Glen Burnie) with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
 
The Crimson Hawks are off on Saturday before traveling to Greensburg next Wednesday to wrap up their regular season against Seton Hill. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men's Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPMens_Bball.